With all this buzz about how quickly things are building for the 24th of October (479 actions in 50 countries!), it’s hard to remember sometimes that there is a significant amount of time between now and then. In that time, there are already ideas moving forward to help catapult the 350 symbol into public awareness, moving it from those of us concerned about climate to anyone in the world with a pulse and a way to connect to the world (newspaper, radio, computer, local café…). I’d like to highlight two such actions – unique because they were thought up and will be carried through by individuals.
Jonathan is a marathon runner. You know how runners always have their number pinned to their shirt in a race? Well, Jonathan’s pinning on the number 350. He works with The Global Ecovillage Network, an incredible connector between many of the communities throughout the world that are implementing the changes we need to get to 350, and Findhorn, an ecovillage in Scotland. As such a strong representative for the possibilities for low carbon living, Jonathan thinks they could help at the Copenhagen talks to tell their stories and explain how good the 350 life can be, so he’s using the London Marathon as a launchpad for fundraising and awareness-raising. Good luck, Jonathan!
Trevor is a pillar of his community. Or so we assume, since he emailed us a week ago to say that he was considering volunteering for community service to support the 350 idea. There are two things that are remarkable about Trevor’s idea, which he’s still deciding whether to pursue. One is that he’s considering committing to 350 hours of volunteering in his community – a monumental commitment, and one to be admired. The second is that he’s 10 years old. Phil, who opened the email, was so astounded that he emailed it around to all of us as inspiration, and I hope it serves to inspire you all as well.
Stories like this make me realize that the actions we do this year will grow exponentially. Each individual, with their story, inspires others, and these stories get told over and over person to person, newspaper to newspaper, radio to radio, blog post to blog post, face to face. And think, with stories like Jonathan’s and Trevor’s, what this day in October will look like when it finally comes around. Thanks to both of these individuals, and for all of you who will pass these stories on and make them grow.